Improvement in folding tables



RfM. LAMBIE. Folding-Table.

No. 208,912. l Patented Oct. I5, 187.81.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIGE.

ROBERT' M. LAMBIE, OF NEW' YORK, N. Y.

lfNlPROVEMENT IN FOLDING TABLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 208,912, dated October15, 1878; application filed October 3l, 1877.

To all whom it may concern.: l

Be it known that l, ROBERT M. LAMBIE, of New York city, in the county ofNew York and State of N ew York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Folding Tables, and that the following` is a full,clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates particularly to folding tables similar to those forwhich Letters Patent were heretofore granted to myself and Jasper E.Lambie and Patrick Munde, No. 150,330, dated April 28, 1874, and tomyself and George F. Sargent, No. 171,145, dated December 14, 1875.

In the first-mentioned patent cach pair of legs is made in two sections,arranged to slide in connection with each other, so that the table maybe adjusted to different heights. In the last-mentioned patent the hinge-pivots are formed on the upper ends of the legs. The two legs of eachpair are connected by a horizontal cross-brace, and also a center brace,in

which is a socket of peculiar construction, as'

therein described; but no provision is made for raising and lowering thetop of the table and adjusting it to different heights.

The present invention is applicable to tables embracing the folding andthe adjustable features referred to.

The invention consists in a novel construction of the center brace ofthe legi-rame, and in forming the hinge-pivots on said brace instead ofon the legs; also, in a novel construe* tion and form of the socket forconnection with the brace or bar, which supports the legs when at rest,and preserves their proper motion when in the act of being folded ornnfolded; and, further, in a novel construction and combination, withthe table-top and legframe, of a device for holding the legs securely inplace when folded against the underside of the table-top, and, stillfurther, in a novel construction and combination, with the sec-= tionsof the leg-frame, of devices for holding the table at different heights.

The accompanying drawing illustrates the manner of carrying out myinvention. y

Figure 1 is a side view of a table embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 isa transverse vertical section of the same, taken in the line x Fig. 3 isabot-toni view ofthe table with thelegs folded. Figs. 4 and 5 are detailviews, hereinafter referred to. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of aportion of the center brace and leg-frame. Fig. 7 is a detail view of aportion of the arm F.

llhe table-top A may be similar to that dcscribed in the patent ofDecember 14,1875, No. 171,145. The leg-frames are each made in twosections, arranged to slide 'one within the other, in a similar mannerto that shown in the patent of April 28, 1874, No. 150,330. The sectionB is hinged to the table-top, and the section B2 is arranged inconnection with it by means of tongues and grooves, so that one mayslide within the other, as described in said patent.

The patent of Deceniber14, 1875, No. 171,145, shows the center bracemade in one piece with the leg-frame, and the hin ge-pivots formed onthe upper ends of the legs. In this invention the center brace is aseparate piece, made preferably of cast metal, and may be attached tolegs made of either wood or metal. The drawing shows this brace C withfour arms or branches, diverging from a common center, somewhatresembling the letter X. The four arms or branches are perforated neartheir ends for the admission of screws or bolts, in order to fasten themto the legs. llwo of the branches are attached to one leg and the othertwo branches to the other leg and thus the leg-frame is formed. N earthe ends of the branches the metal is thinner than the remainder of thebrace, and the thin portions of the two lower branches are on one sideof the brace and those on the other two branches are on the oppositeside, so that when the parts are in place together the two lowerbranches bear against the outer sides of the legs and thc two upperbranches bear against the inner sides. These thin portions or lugs c areformed with shoulders cx, for engagement with the corners of the legs.By this construction and mode of attachment of the brace to the legs Iobtain the greatest strength where it is most needed.

The upper branches of the brace C are con tinued beyond the perforationsor screw-holes, and are turned inward toward each other, and arc maderound, and thus constitute hingepivots l. These pivots b engagewithsockets cl in a bar, l), of the same form, and in the same manner asshown in the patent No. 171,145, aforesaid. By making them on the braceinstead of on the legs, I am enabled to apply them to legs of anysuitable description, whether said legs are made of wood or metal.

Another advantage gained by making the pivots on the brace is this: if apivot should be broken it can be readily replaced by applyin a newbrace, without the necessity for an entire new leg-frame.

For supporting the llegs when at rest, and for preserving their propermotion when in the act of being folded or unfolded, I employ a brace orbar, E, having at one end two projections, c c, for engagement with asocket, and at the other end an arm, F, provided with two lips or lugs,f f, for engagement with a keeper, H, attached to the under side of thetable-top. The brace or bar E and Vkeeper II are similar to those shownin Patent No. 171,145; but the socket for engagement with theprojections e e differs in form and construction, as I will nowdescribe.

In the patent No. 171,145 the socket has two bearingsone bearing for oneof the pivots or studs e, and another bearin g for the other pivot orstud and one of said pivots tends to push the leg-frame in onedirection, and the other tends to pull it in an opposite direction. Ithas been found, in practice, that when the socket is made in the formdescribed there is a tendency to twist the leg-frame when in the act offolding or unfolding, and to obviate this is the object of the improvedsocket in this invention. To this end the socket G is provided with twocylindrical bearing-surfaces, g g, for engagement with the studs e e,instead of being semi-cylindrical, as in said former patent, so thatboth of the studs or pivots in this invention exert the same pressure inthe same direction at the same time, and all twisting of the frame isprevented, as the pressure of the pivots is uniform on both sides of thecenter of the frame.

Midway between the cylindrical bearings g g is a depression, g", formedin the central web, g', for engagement with a projection, e", on thebrace E. (See Fig. 4.) This projection eX is in the form of a segment ofa circle, and extends from one side of the brace E, near the extremeend, and slightly beyond the end.

To connect the parts together, the brace E and socket Gr are held in theposition relatively to each other, as shown in Fig. 4, with the flatportion of the brace next to the socket. One of the pivots c is firstinserted in one of the bearings g, and the brace moved toward one sideuntil it lies iat between the two bearings. It is then moved in theopposite direction until the other pivot e is engaged with the otherbearing g4 and the projection e is in line with the depression gx. Theposition of the brace E is then reversed by swinging it upward, so asto-cause the projection eX to engage with the depression g", by whichmeans the displacement of the brace from the socket is renderedimpossible. Vhile in this position with relation to each other thepa-rts are secured in place on the table.

In the patent to Lambie & Sargent, dated December 14, 1875, No. 171,145,the bearingsurfaces g g are semi-cylindrical, and the 011e toward thecenter of the table-top is entirely open, like a notch.

It has been found, in practice, that when the keeper II is warped orsprung, and does not perfectly tit the arm F and lips or lugs f j', whenthe legs are folded the pivots or studs c e are liable to drop out andbecome disengaged from the seats or bearing-surfaces g g,- and when thelegs are unfolded again said studs e c are liable to bind in said seatsg y and prevent the easy working of the parts, and in some cases tocause the breaking of some portion of the bar E.

The present invention entirely overcomes this difficulty, in addition toforming a more perfect hinge, and also preventing twisting, as beforedescribed.

For holding the legs securely in position when folded against the underside of the table-top, I employ a device constructed and arranged asfollows:

Referring to Fig. 5 of the drawing, J represents a bar, one end of whichis formed into a hook, t', with an inclined outer surface, and the otherend forms a foot, j, the sole of which is at a right angle with thelength of the bar. K is a metal plate, with a longitudinal slot, 7s,ruiming nearly its entire length.

Near the foot j, on the bar J, are two studs, jx, projecting in oppositedirections. In the plate K, about midway of the length of the slot, aretwo recesses, la", one on each side of said slot.

L is a fiat metal spring, slightly narrower than the slot k, so as towork freely therein, but sufficiently longer to enable its ends to restfirmly on the outer surface of the plate K beyond the ends of said slot.The studs j X extend transversely to the length of the foot j, and, when'engaged with the depressions or sockets kx, serve as pivots for the barJ to oscillate upon. When so engaged the spring L is placed in positionin the slot k, with the ends of the spring resting on the plate K beyondthe ends of the slot, and with the sole of the foot j resting on thespring. The toe of the foot j is sufficiently' long and fiat to preventthe bar J from moving forward; but the heel of said foot is sufficientlyinclined or rounded to allow the bar to move backward a certaindistance.

The parts so constructed and arranged constitute the device for holdingthe legs in position when folded.

rIhe plate K, having the bar J and spring L attached, as described, issecured to the ,under side of the table-top, with the hookiy downward,and in such a position as to enable it to engage with the brace C, orother suitable portion of the leg-frame. (See Fig. 1.)

When the leg-frame is folded against the under side of thc table-top,(see Fig. 3,) a portion of the brace (l comes in contact with theinclined outer surface of the hook fi, and, sliding down said inclinedsurface, forces the bar J backward far enough to allow the brace to slipbeyond the point of the hook, whereupon the spring L, bearing againstthe footy', forces the bar J forward again, so as to cause the hook i toslip over the brace C and prevent the leg-frame from receding. The tablemay then be turned in any desired position without danger ofdisplacement of the leg-frame until the bar J is moved backward torelease it. At the points where the ends of the spring L rest on theplate K shoulders are provided, which prevent displacement of the springin either direction.

In the patent of April 28, 1874, No. 150,330 aforesaid, the leg-framewas provided with a loop, hinged upon the inner section, and surroundingone leg of the outer section, which was provided with notches, intowhich the loop was forced successively by means of a spring bearingagainst the hinged portion of the loop, so as to hold the table atdifferent heights. ln order to change the height of the table it wasnecessary to disengage the loop from the notches by pulling it with thefingers.

In this invention, for the purpose of hold ing the parts in place whenthe table is ad j usted to different heights, I employ a clevis, M,carried by a plate, P, somewhat similar in construction to the plate K,before describedthat is to say, the plate P is formed with a slot, inwhich works a iiat spring, S, and it is provided with depressions p, oneon each side of the slot, forming bearing-surfaces for the cle vis. Thelength of the clevis is greater than the width of the contiguousportions of the two sections of the leg-frame, and when in position foruse it occupies an inclined or diagonal position with relation thereto.On the pivot side or end of the clevis is a projecting lip or tongue, m,against which the spring S bears and holds it always in an inclinedposition, either upward or downward.

The plate 1 is attached to the outer section of the leg-frame, so thatthe clevis surrounds a leg of the outer section and also a leg of theinner section, on the inner edge of which it engages with bosses, knobs,or projections t, and thus holds the table at the different heights towhich it is adjusted. The clevis is also engaged by the upper and lowerarms or branches of the center brace, C, by which means the amount ofadj ustability is limited.

l/Vhen the table has been adjusted to its greatest height, in order tolower it again it is raised so as to cause the brace C to reverse theposition of the clevis and allow the projections t to pass freely by itand the table to be lowered to the desired position. Upon reaching thelowest position the brace C again reverses the clevis, so as to place itin position for the table to be again raised when dcsired.

I do not claim herein anything' shown or described in the patent grantedto It. M. Lambie and G. Ii. Sargent, December 14, 187 5, No. 171,145.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The center brace, C, having its arms or branches provided with thelugs c and shoulders cx, and having the hin ge-pivots b b formed on itsupper branches, in combination with the leg-sections B B2, the plate orbar D and its sockets d d, and the tabletop A, as herein shown anddescribed.

2. The fastening device consisting of the plate K and its slot 7s andrecesses L, the bar J and its hook 17, foot j, and studs or pivots jx,and the spring L, in combinati-on with a folding leg-frame and atable-top, substantiall y as and for the purpose herein shown anddescribed.

8. The clevis M, provided with the lip or tongue m, the carrying-plateP, and the spring S, in combination with the leg-sections and the centerbrace, substantially as and for the purpose shown and described.

4. The bearing G, consisting of the curved bearing-ribs gg and thecentral web g1, having the curved groove gx, adapted to receive andretain the brace E, having the studs or pivots e e and the segmentalprojection e", as and for the purpose set forth.

I. M. LAMBIE.

Titnesses E. R. BROWN, I. L. HEWLETT.

